Flesh of My Flesh
by subversivetheatre
Summary: Sequel to Blood of My Blood. f/f. vamp buffy.
1. Chapter 1

**Flesh Of My Flesh**

**Chapter 1**

I watch Faith flick her tongue over her fangs. Nervous twitch. Well, partially. I think she's still getting used to the lengthened canines. They aren't as long as mine, or as long as a true werewolf's, just twice as sharp. I called them dainty once and she bit me to prove they FEEL anything but dainty. Not that I minded. I might even say it again when she's especially growly so we can fight and bleed each other until the sun rises. Her huff of annoyance makes me smile innocently.

"Don't even try it, B. You were thinkin' bad, sticky things when ya should be keeping your head in the game."

Blah blah. I know why we're here and what game we have to play. I let the diamond studded leash trickle through my fingers as I tug her closer to me seductively.

"Sticky and sweet."

Another annoyed sigh. It's almost cute how hard she's trying to stay on task. Almost. I give that leash a harder tug to bring her gaze to me. Long, calloused fingers clamp down on my wrist just this side of painful and I writhe against her, purring.

The leash is a sign of ownership but truthfully, when she locks her arms around me like she is now, I'm not sure who own who. I'm also pretty sure I don't care.

"Keep it up, B."

That's not a threat and she knows it. Which means she knows something I don't. Yet. I nuzzle down her neck, letting my own fangs graze over the steady pulse there. Her heart stops for a millisecond allowing me to hear the faint, slow thud of a heartbeat for something much larger than us.

Watching.

I pull my head back with an annoyed look of my own. Fine. Play time is apparently over. I turn back to the obnoxiously posh vestibule. Heavy deep red drapes cover most of the wrought iron framed stained glass windows.

I run a hand down one liking the soft velvet texture. It's past sundown but I doubt any direct light gets through anyway. How very nocturnally friendly. I don't have to see her to know Faith is more concerned about what's hiding in the shadows waiting us out. I'm two seconds from checking to see if her patience is worn out when a set of black double doors materialize in the wall in front of us. They open slowly with no more than a whisper letting a spill of soft candle light bathe the vestibule in warmth.

"Pretentious or nifty?"

Faith smirks and gestures me ahead of her in to the room beyond.

"Snooty as shit."

Well I'd have to agree with her on that. I chuckle softly and step in a chamber with high ceilings and a large ornate wooden table. It's round. Faith's scent surrounds me when she slides an arm around my waist from behind. It's not the gesture it's meant to look like. It's a warning. My steps slow to a halt and stare at the group of assembled uh, people. Demons I can't even name, a vampire or two, and a few weres. Instinctively my arms come up to cross over my chest.

To be completely honest I'm a little tired of the whole Illuminati theme. And I'm getting hungry. A soft shuffle brings my attention to the behemoth that we heard earlier. Wow. I thought Gus was a big boy. It's mouth opens and I'm completely blown away by the gentleness of it's tone. He bows easily at the waist. Yep that's a male. And boy howdy is he ever lucky. Or cursed. I'm still staring when Faith nudges me gently. Right. Busy times. I blink and draw my attention back to the table.

"The Lady Buffy and her Consort."

I kind of like that. The Lady Buffy. I'm still pondering my new title when a chair scrapes heavily across the stone floor. Right. Business. My gaze narrows, focusing in on a werewolf in an impeccable tailored suit. I can tell by the way Faith is suddenly still that he's powerful. She's cautious. My brow raises as he shifts effortlessly with each step.

Fur recedes as muscles roll and shift, bones break and shorten, making soft popping sounds and I know that it has to hurt but you couldn't tell it by looking at him. But then. Oz always was pretty unflappable.

"Buffy, Faith. Hey."

Son of a bitch.

"Long time no see, Fuzzface."

He smiles all easy goin' and slips his hands in to his pockets. Just like old times. I shift from foot to foot tryin' to decide if this is bad or good or just whatever, ya know? Buffy slides a hand in to my back pocket to pull out the fancy black invitation. She says it's some kind of expensive ass parchment. I was more interested in the neck ruffling scent of the blood they used for ink. Buffy holds it up casually.

"So what's up with this? I mean, this is nice and everything. But...why? Also. Who?"

He gestures back to the group around the table, his buddies. I'm clockin' everything but human. Well. Nah that's not quite right. There are some humans but I think they're more like pets. Or snacks. Probably both. Eh. Not my problem. "Sorry about the theatrics. It's kind of a thing with us. May I present The Circle of the Black Thorn."

Buffy's brow wrinkles. That means nothin' to her. But it means somethin' to me. My lip curls in a snarl as I let my eyes track every face there. I had a run in with Wolfram and Hart before. I'm makin' sure I remember who I gotta kill if shit gets complicated.

"I see you're familiar, Faith." I give him a slow nod, letting Buffy's cool touch on my overheated skin soothe me. "It's kind of a long story. You have seats at the table, maybe we could sit?"

He makes it all sound so reasonable. Like we're just old pals catchin' up. I'm not sure I trust it but if this were a trap we'd be dead already. I nudge B, givin' her a half shrug. Might as well hear it all out right? Still I pull my chair out further from the table, to give me room. Room that Buffy takes up when she spills in to my lap, wrigglin' a lil. Ungh. I love it when she wriggles.

"We're listenin'."

"As you know, Wolfram and Hart was a pretty evil collective of demons. They used everyone and anyone they could, brokering deals between demons to exchange services that would gain them power in the human world for tangible power in underworld. Not everyone that worked for them was evil, just opportunistic. The Circle of the Black Thorn for instance."

I remember a little about them. Mostly I remember the kind of power they dealt with. It's why Angel had them all put down. He wouldn't have had a chance in hell against Wolfram and Hart if he hadn't severed their power base. Buffy plays with my leash, makin' lil clinking sounds. She does little things like that when she's really thinkin' hard.

"I thought that Angel had everyone killed."

See? Thinkin'.

"Almost. As a precaution when you become a member you name a scion. In the event of your untimely death, your scion becomes endowed with the assets of a full member. It didn't take us long to realize we had an out with Wolfram and Hart once The Circle was taken care of. To be fair we hadn't thought to organize until after."

"After?"

"After the fall of Los Angeles. Angel left a pretty nasty tear in the inter-dimensional fabric. It let in all kinds of nasty things."

I go a little still at that. Buffy lost a whole team of Slayers closin' that Hellmouth. I lost my hero. Oz lost his home. Guess we all lost somethin'. Buffy lets out an exaggerated sigh as she leans back in to my chest. She's makin' it look like she's never been more comfy.

"Blah blah blah, skip to the now part."

Heh. He nods once and settles in to a high backed chair across the table from us. I know this whole round table thing is supposed to be all equal and all but I get the feelin', Fuzzy, runs the show a lot more than he lets on.

"After we escaped we thought it was probably a good idea to lay low. Eventually we formed a new kind of Circle. And now... you are part of that. You own a House now that your predecessor is dead."

We give each other a look, Buffy and I. My brow crinkles a bit. So... do we get a say in this or what? My girl is smart and asks the question we're both wondering.

"What about the scion that was supposed to take her place?"

"You're sitting on her lap." I give a long slow blink at that and frown slightly.

"Hold up. This whole scion thing sounds like a big deal, wouldn't I know if someone made me their second banana?" I sure as hell don't remember signin' up for that. I only play second to B and play is the operative word here. As soon as I think of her Buffy goes from still to dangerous. She stretches out even more on my lap, her head tipped to the side eying Oz speculatively. I can see the flashes of bright light as she plays with the leash in her hand.

"Well there's usually a big hootenanny after a naming but you were MIA. You should remember the ritual though. Little blood, some sex, a few candles and some chanting." Oh. Okay well maybe I do remember somethin' like that. Sorta. "Erzabet was distinctly lacking a sense of tradition so it's entirely possible you got the basic ceremony of sex and blood letting without the rest. I could only track her back to the 1500s but she was much older. Patience wasn't her thing."

Buffy goes still and she turns her head back to look at me. "You shared blood. With a vampire." No I didn't. "One with excruciatingly bad taste, I might add." I raise my brow already smelling the danger in the air. I could be fucked here if I say it wrong. So I wait a good long minute, keepin' eye contact with her so she can read all my tells an' see I'm not lying.

"Never happened. I fucked her, I even cut her up a lil, but most she got outta me was a scratch. I thought the chanting was an Enya CD." B's look goes from angry to hungry at the mention of my violence and she runs a long fingernail over my cheek bringin' a bead of blood to the surface. Everyone else in the room fades out for me so there's only her but I know they're all there watchin' and listening to the show.

"If you're lying..." Her tongue comes out to lick the slowly rolling bead of blood off my cheek. "I'll kill you."

I just snort at that and tangle my hand in her hair, yankin' her head back so I can bite down hard on her neck, marking her and takin' my own sip of blood. "If ya thought I was lyin', B, I'd already be dead." Her squeal is both pleasure and pain and she gives a low throaty laugh with I let her hair go. I look up at Oz and shrug a shoulder. "So what? We take who's her face's place at the round table?"

"Erzabet, Faith. As in Bathory. That is what you're suggesting isn't it Oz?" Bathory. Like. Elizabeth Bathory? I fucked Elizabeth Bathory? For real? Xander is gonna be so fuckin' jealous when I tell him this shit.

"You got it in one." He half smiles and shrugs, folding his hands in front of him as he watches us. He's not sure what to expect from us and I can see the wary edge in his eyes. But that puts us on a level field because I don't know what to expect from him either. Not this, that's for sure. "There's still time for that hootenanny if you're interested. Membership is life long of course. The assets, the House, the servants, those are part of the deal. There are more mundane details of the responsibilities, mandatory attendance for our Council Meetings. Once the Council votes a decision in, you fall in line with the majority rule even if you disagree. Standard practice, you understand."

Now we're gettin' to the meat of it all. Buffy snorts daintily, mimicking me as she rolls her eyes. "Always a catch. What kind of votes are we talking about here, Ozzie Paws? End of the world things or new wallpaper patterns for This Old House?" About half of them chuckle, a few mutter in irritation. One just stares at Buffy. Disgust and hatred plain in his eyes. He's the one I mark for dust. Buffy can feel the rise of dark intention in me and shivers in my lap happily.

"A little of both." Again, Oz gives us a tight lipped brief smile. He's holdin' out on us an' he knows we know it. "I'm sure you both want time to think it over but time is money as they say, so I can only give you until nightfall tomorrow. There's a room and dinner ready for you in the crypt if you'll follow Darwin." He gestures to the behemoth that announced us without looking at him. Buffy slides off me with a saunter and a gentle tug of the leash.


	2. Chapter 2

p style="margin-bottom: 0in"strongChapter 2/strongbr /br /p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"It's a long winding walk down to the crypt. I hope it doesn't look like a crypt. That might have been alright for Spike but I like something a little more...Well. More. Faith reaches out and trails her fingers along the wall as we walk, her focus entirely on Darwin ahead of us. She doesn't like anyone at her back but me. And Xander. It's like he's her puppy. "Soo... that was weird. I mean, Oz. Who knew?" Faith turns her head to look at me with a brow raised./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""Yeah, I kinda thought he died when L.A. fell. I mean,Wolfy over there wasn't my best bud but we had times, ya know? It was fucked. Now he's the Big Pants around here." I bite my lip and smile. I've always loved how Faith puts things. I snake a hand over her hip as we walk and Faith adjusts her gait smoothly to match my shorter stride. I love that about her too, I never have to skip hop to catch up to her like every other normal adult in America./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""Master Oz very nearly did." Faith flicks her eyes to me then back to Darwin's broad back./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""Yeah? You been with Master Fuzz a long time?" We take a turn and stop at a heavy wooden door. It doesn't look very crypty, More Nosferatu B B. Darwin faces us and smiles broadly displaying small tusks. It seems genuine and somehow familiar. I glance at Faith and catch her frowning slightly in thought./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""I have been his servant since The Circle rose again. I was owned by our previous Master but I chose Master Oz willingly." I hum softly as I walk around the room looking at the subtle touches of red and amber around the room. Nice thread count. I look at the bed warily, it's tall and I'm not so much and I really don't want to have to jump in it. Before I can say anything, Darwin moves easily in the room, making himself seem smaller and part of the space around him. "For your ease, Lady." Nifty. I use the two step stair he pulled from under the bed and perch at the edge. It's. Big. Like seven body orgy big. I think I'm taking this home as a parting gift when we blow this pop stand./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""Thanks. Nice room. Are they all like this?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"He's still kneeling on one knee at the foot of the bed. For a second I mistake the soft rumble of his laughter for thunder. "Just yours Lady. Each circle member has his own chamber here at the Council House. Each different as you are all different." Interesting. I can see Faith checking out the nightstand drawers with a smirk. I'm guessing she found fun stuff. "Would you prefer a glass or fresh feed, dinner?" Fresh feed. I'm guessing that's a living victim. The idea makes my stomach growl audibly. /p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""We're good here, D man." I just stare at her as she starts shuffling him toward the door. If I wasn't so annoyed I'd think it was funny considering his size. "But do us a favor and tell your boss we'd like a chat. Without the rest of the Get A Long Gang." He nods as she shuts the door and stalks toward the bed, her leash clinking as it trails along the black stained hardwood floor. I watch her come toward me in liquid smooth movements, both predatory and seductive. A growl trickles out from between her lips and my body goes tight with anticipation. I guess Faith is the only one on my menu tonight. I can go for that./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""Not that I mind having you for dinner and dessert but why the cock block?" My fingers graze her forearms as she lowers her weight on me, pushing me back on the bed. I wrap a leg around her hips, bringing her as close as I can, enjoying her warmth even through her leather pants./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""This room, the Circle shit, Oz, I don't trust it yet. I rather you feed on the strongest cleanest blood here. An' that's me, baby." Her kiss is searingly hot, heady and tangy sweet. My face shifts as my hunger kicks in at the sting of her blood on my tongue. I search the source of it out, breathing her in even as I drink her down. I find the slice in her lip and tease it open again, preventing it from sealing for a last parting drop. She knows how to tease me to a frenzy and I love it./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"I shift and roll her under me, hips grinding down on hers as I sit up with a smirk. "That covers me but what about you?" I don't disagree with her logic but she needs actual food to live. Her smirk shifts to something darker and more primitive. I groan softly, grinding down again. It's always been her darkness that turned me on. That promise of destruction and pain. It's a powerful lure and like a fish I follow the shiny./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""Gonna see if I can talk Fuzz in to a little hunt. Feel each other out. It's a wolf thing." I believe her. I can tell my hands are cold by the prickled skin of her ribs. She sighs in appreciation and I smirk moving my hands lower over her belly. "I wanna believe in him, I wanna believe in the new start we could build ya know? I'm tired of runnin', B. This House, the bar, us, everything. It's right somehow. Like this is how it's supposed ta be."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"She's right. I work the buttons on her fly, leaning down to nibble her collarbone with hard nips to make her squirm under me. "Sounds an awful lot like you want to settle down, Faith." Like she wants me to settle down with her. I don't know how I feel about that. A part of me, the demon part, flares with anger and sick violent feelings. The part of me with a soul, the part that still feels like Buffy, that part is hopeful. Pathetic./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"Faith reaches up and tangles her fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck. She tugs hard enough to make us roll again so I'm trapped under her. Her weight settling heavily on me should make me feel trapped and insecure but it doesn't. But it does get my attention and that's what she wants. "Where ever you are, that's my home, B. You wanna ditch this for somethin' else I'm all for it. But it'd be a lie if I said I didn't wanna rest my head in the same place every morning. Plus I'm good at runnin' the bar. It's the only thing I'm good at that isn't scary."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"I smile up at her with a leer and rub against her seductively. "I can name a few things you're good at that aren't scary." It gets me a laugh and that annoying little Buffy part feels smug and happy. Who am I kidding? I'm more her again, every day. I wonder if this is how it was for Angel. If he was more human the longer he had his soul, less at war with himself. Will I ever find a balance and peace? Do I even want that? I have to admit that the chaotic back and forth is tempting. "So if this is what we want where is our line in the sand?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"The Circle seems pretty evil. Or at least the potential for pretty evil. It's hard to believe it of Oz but people change, power changes people. And he has a lot of it. I've never seen a werewolf shift the way he did. Not even Ama and she's the most powerful thing on four legs in our area. So maybe he's not the same guy anymore. Then again, who is these days? Faith's is quiet for a breath before she rolls her shoulders in a lazy shrug. "I dunno, B. We don't exactly run the straight an' narrow here, but I kinda don't wanna open a Hellmouth either." Good we're on the same page./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"I nod slowly, a fingertip tracing the thick, ropey jugular vein pulsing oh so invitingly under her skin. My nails lengthen and graze the point over the skin, liking the shuddered breath Faith's trying to control. I can push that control. Just a little. I raise my head, nuzzling in to the offered flesh, my cool breath causing more goosebumps to rise. "That's a lot of power, it's going to be hard to buck the system." I'm not saying we can't, just saying it won't be easy if we have to do it. I nip hard to bring the blood to the surface of her skin but I don't bite down yet./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"She nods twice just a little too quickly as I trail my tongue along her neck tasting her skin. "You know if shit gets real I might hafta take out Fuzz." Hmm. I pull back enough to smile lazily at her. It's not going to be easy but I believe her when she says she'll kill him. It could get confusing, trying to enjoy that lust for blood and the kill while remembering a dead girl's life and family. I nuzzle back in to keep her from reading the thoughts on my face./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""And Mr. Hairy Eyeball?" Because he has to go. If anyone is going to offer resistance it's him. I'm not sure what his deal is but I know I officially never cared. Her growl makes my whole body feel like a live wire and I gasp in pleasure at the pull of her darkness against my soul. I'm guessing that means he goes first. I strike then, arms and legs tightening around her body like a boa constrictor. She only resists a little but I think that's more for me than for her. I let my eyes close as I take what she's giving so willingly./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"**********/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"I crack an eye and grunt. It's mid day. I can't smell the burning asphalt and hot metal of the world above ground so it takes me a second to adjust an' realize it's not mid day but almost dusk. I glance over at B all snuggled down in the sheets. She almost looks like she used to. Before. I reach out to brush some hair from her face, lovin' the way the hair feels on my skin. I used ta want that so bad. Before. So much has happened it's hard to reconcile us with who we used ta be./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"A knock at the door makes my hair raise on end. I can feel him on the other side of the door. His power is eatin' at me like a nest of angry ants, choppin' on my skin. I let out a huff before hoppin' down from the bed and tugging on my pants. I only button about half of my vest before I open the door an' lean against the frame. "Was wonderin' if you were gonna show sometime before we hadda make a choice or not." He just smiles and tucks his hands in to his suit./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"Spiffy. The kid has money now. I can see that even if I can't pronounce the designer on his labels. "I was wondering the same thing, myself." I nod as I finish buckling my belt and buttoning my vest. His answer doesn't leave me with a whole lot of hope for him bein' in our corner when, not if, the chips fall wrong. "Actually I was relieved to bring you bad news."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"I raise my brows at that, not sure how to take it. "Wha? Your offer off the table now?" It could happen. We're a big threat to the rest of the Council. An' why is it that anything that calls itself a Council turns out to be so shady?/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""No. One of our members had an emergency come up. It's all or nothing with us so your answer can be postponed until he gets back." He? Another questioning brow and lets his head drop a notch, tryin' to put me at ease an' let me be the Alpha. "Eowain. You might have noticed he wasn't your biggest fan yesterday." Oh him. I was glad to see that B noticed him but I'm not so sure I like how naked his hate for us is. Of course I could fix that shit no problem if it gets hot. I just gotta wonder what the consequences would be. I was serious when I told Buffy I wanted this. I don't wanna fuck it up and I hafta know what the rules of the game are before I play./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""Yeah, I saw him. What's eatin' his asshole?" There's just the smallest flicker of a smile before it fades. Okay well some things don't change I guess. Oz shrugs a little an' glances at B asleep in the bed. His head cocks to one side an' I know he's listenin' for her heartbeat. He won't find it./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""That's creepy." Yeah it kinda is. I don't say anything, waiting him out while he looks around the room, rockin' on his heels. "Eowain isn't so bad. He's just taking his sire's death a little hard." Okay so I'm not a vampire an' I'm never gonna really understand that bond but I get that it's deep. Maybe as deep as what me an' B share. If it is that's intense. "I think he's plotting vengeance more than he's taking care of his 'emergency'."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"Sorta sounds like my kinda guy. "So who killed his sire?" Yeah I already know the answer so I don't really need him glancin' at Buffy wryly. Great. First day of school an' we already got a bully fight in the makin'. I snort softly at that while I run fingers through my curls gettin' them less wild before I turn to him fully. "This gonna be an issue?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"He gives me a slow shake of his head. "Violence between Council members is strictly forbidden. When we rose again we all decided against the use of scions. The buck stops here, with us. We can't exactly afford to lose any members if there's no scions to take their places." I hafta wonder how he worked that out, cause I'm pretty sure that was his idea. "If there's a grievance we take it to The Pit." Oh well now I'm interested./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""You got some game goin' here, Fuzz." Another half grin from him. He seems almost normal ya know? Almost./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""Can we walk? There's this place half a block away. I'll buy you a burger, extra rare of course." It makes me smile just a lil and I nod. A block away. B should be fine, an' I pity anyone who tries anythin' while I'm gone. She migta had her fill on me but B's always had a hollow leg if ya know what I mean. She used ta pack away double what I did after a good slay. I let Oz lead the way only stoppin' in the hall when I realize that his watch dog is standin' in the shadow. "Darwin."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"It's just the one word. But it says so much. The demon straightens an' nods at us both, more alert than he was before. I get the feelin' that B is more safe than she even knows right now. I can smell the world now that we're close to the surface, it's like a drug, all those scents. Makes me wanna run an' howl to let the world know it's mine an' I'm comin' so you better run an' hide. We don't speak on the way, but I'm not worried. It's different from Xander, he talks because he gets nervous when it's quiet. He asked me out here for a reason so I'll let him take his time gettin' to it./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""I'm sorry. About Buffy." I almost didn't hear him with the scent of meat filling my nose and makin' me distracted. "It all worked out I see but I'm still sorry." I just nod at that not sure how to respond. I never told anyone what I went through those first few days. I probably never will, but when he stands there reading the menu in his fancy suit and his quiet understandin', I almost want to./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""You didn't bring me all the way over here to sympathize over my dead girlfriend." This time it's him who's noddin'. I lean against the counter as he orders enough burgers for an entire football team. Wonder what he's plannin' on eatin'./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""No I didn't." He's quiet another second longer as we fill large cups of soda and settle at a table in the back. "I need your help, Faith."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"Now we're gettin' to it. I lean back a bit an' sigh. "Who ya want me to kill?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""If the world were perfect, no one." But it isn't. I nod again slower this time. "When this whole thing started I had all these ideals about how we could be different, better than our masters. Maybe we're not making the world better but I was hoping we wouldn't be making it worse. Now I'm not so sure."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"It's the first time that I can see somethin' in his eyes that wasn't ever there before. Fear. If he's worried enough ta want me an' B backin' him then it's big. An' if he can't handle it alone it means it's bad. Big an' bad. My two favorite kinds of trouble. "You're gettin' out voted." It's not a question but he nods anyway./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""You and Buffy would the tie breaker. I was hoping I could count on you two still having some sort of humanity. I wasn't sure about Buffy but I'm sure about you Faith." Is he now? The waitress brings two trays full of food, giving me time to figure out if I wanna punch his teeth in or not./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""Yeah? Why you so sure about me?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"His voice is soft an' gentle remindin' me of the boy he used ta be. "Because you risked everything to bring her back. If you thought she was beyond redemption Buffy would be a pile of dust./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""Could just be obsession. Like Spike an' Dru." He smirks and shakes his head. I'm not too sure I like him bein' so wise an' observant. It makes me nervous./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in""All love that deep is obsessive. But I've seen you unravel Faith, that's not what I see now." My lips curl flashing my lower set of fangs. I forgot he saw the darkest parts of me before Angel saved me. "Help me, Faith. Please."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"I don't even know what exactly I'm helpin' but it's hard to say no to that. I shrug an' dig in to the most perfect piece of meat I've ever tasted. "Ya know ya gotta talk to the big boss about that." We make our choices jointly anyway but I want her to hear it from him directly. So I'm willin' to wait before I agree to anything. "Truth is we gotta lot of questions. You're gonna answer them before we take this shit any further. Right?"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"His power ruffles the hair on the back of my neck. He took it as a personal challenge an' I can see him workin' hard to swallow all that down. Oz has more control than anyone I've ever met before an' it doesn't surprise me that after a slow blink he's back to himself. "How's the burger?" It's not an agreement but it's the best I'm gonna get right now so I'll take it. We eye each other before we both look away, neither one of us wanting to start a dominance fight./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in"I'm curious about who'd win but I'm not in the mood ta find out right now. So for now I'll eat like we're old buddies shootin' the shit. For now. /p 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to post. I had some location changes in my life and then my poor laptop is just limping along. But the up note is that I've posted! So thanks for the patience, and enjoy.**

**p.s. I don't know how to make the coding go away in the last chapter. I don't know why it sucks balls. Probably the universe just hates me. **

**Chapter 3**

I really dislike waking up alone in bed. So that's the first thing to make me cranky. The second is standing at the door trying to look smaller than he is. I don't need a babysitter. I was really hoping to wander around looking for Faith. And trouble. I sigh deeply, like a DMV worker handing out driving permits to teenagers. "I appreciate the whole full service butlering but it's really unnecessary. I've even been known to walk and chew gum at the same time without falling."

Darwin tips his head to look down at me and smiles widely. Yeesh. Small tusks are still tusks. And I'm betting they could rend things to pieces. And by things I mean people. "Yes Lady. Of course. However Master Oz has accorded me the privilege of escorting you around The Council House. It is my honor to show you all you desire to see." All I desire to see. Hm. Well that's all I wanted anyway. And let's face it. I don't hate the flattery.

Okay. "Great. Then show me the secret, bad, scary room every evil lair has." I know there has to be one. Even I have one and I'm less of the evil and more of the... okay well I'm less evil than Kakistos but I wouldn't exactly say I'm more good. Because I'm certainly not that. I'm half expecting Darwin to affect an innocent expression and shower me with denials but he nods slowly.

"Would you like to start with the upper level and work our way down to The Pit?" Wow. More than one secret, bad, scary room? I wonder how much trouble I can get in to here. They say curiosity killed the cat but I'm already dead.

"Oooh you already know how to sweet talk a girl." Another rumbled laugh. I'm starting to like those. I slip my arm through his letting him lead me up the curving stone stairs up. It's that one gesture that clicks and I know why he seems so familiar. "So is there a demon race of butlers? Because I've got the mini model of you at home." Well. Gus isn't that mini but compared to Darwin he is.

The rust colored demon looks at me with swirling purple eyes. "Your servant is my brother from my mother's second brood." Just when you think you get a handle on demons, they say things like, broods, and you just have to sit there and scratch your head. "Ours was a race of warriors, once. Centuries upon centuries from the dawning of life on this world, we were trained to fight and savage all that we saw around us."

"Very Spartacus of you." He snorts again this time in disdain.

"He was a very small human." It makes me laugh and my cranky pants mood disappears. So. This is Gus' big brother. They don't look very much alike but something in the way they move, they way they treat us. You can tell there is definitely a connection there. I suppose it's like that with Dawn and I. I pause, my tentatively good mood vanishing. Dawn. "Do I offend, my Lady?"

I wave a hand idly and shake my head. "I was just thinking of my sister. She's from another brood too." Technically she's not even real but when I think of her, when I remember her in my living life, I can't seem to think of her as anything but real. She'd hate me now. I'm sure Giles has turned her against me like he did with Satsu and most of the other Slayers. It hurts a part of me I didn't know could get hurt. Darwin takes me down a dimly lit corridor that smells like fear and blood and lust.

It's enough to draw me out of my thoughts and look at the doors along the walls. "This is the first level of dungeons. Master Oz has very strict rules on this level. No death." I'm starting to wonder about Master Oz. I push open a door and raise my brows at the man I see bound in rope, knotted in a complex pattern. The vampire in the room hisses at me and I hiss back. Sheesh. Territorial little dickbag.

It's entirely possible that Faith has been influencing my inner monologue. Darwin closes the door quickly before a fight can break out. I didn't want his boy toy but another vampire in your feed zone sets off all sorts of alarms. It's instinctual. Protect what's yours or die for real. Bullies come in every species, why would vampires be exempt?

"So this is more play than anything else?" I run fingers through my hair, composing myself casually as we continue down the hall and down a dark and dank staircase I haven't been on before. The other one was old stone pavers but they were clean, it even had soft red lights at foot level every other step. This one is clearly the staff stairway.

"Correct. And this is where most of The Circle sleep when they visit." I nod as I recognize my door in a nook off the end of the hall. It's the most private of the rooms. I wonder if Oz did that on purpose or if Erzabet's age and power accorded her that privilege. I catch the faint whiff of werewolf and turn my head to seek it out. It's not Faith, it's stronger than her scent and more earthy. A door cracks and marble black eyes watch me with interest and mild amusement. "Good evening, Avi. May I introduce you to the Lady Buffy. This is Avi Silver Ear. Avi is..."

"A part of Oz's pack. So you're the infamous Buffy. I thought you'd be taller." It's hard to be annoyed at her good natured humor. Especially when her very warm hand grasps mine in a honest to goodness hand shake. I had almost forgotten people did that. I must be too used to people wanting to kill me. I grip her hand firmly and tip my head to the side as I regard her.

"You have no idea how often that's been someone's last words." It's not really a threat I just want to see how she takes it. Wolves are weird. They get ruffled easily over power challenges. And you know me, I like to poke the bear. Er. Wolf. Her laugh is full and just as earnest as her hand shake. It makes my lips pull in to a responding grin.

"I don't doubt that. The little ones are always the meanest." My gaze lingers over her toned body. She's more lean muscle than Faith but still curvy in all the right spots. I flick my eyes up to those oh so amused eyes noticing me checking her out. Crap. "So Darwin is giving you the nickel tour huh?" I nod slowly at that still trying to read past the facade but I can't.

"I asked to see behind the curtain, it's like Disneyland." For the undead. So she's part of Oz's life. Interesting. I want to know more but I also want to keep exploring. Avi saves me from having to choose an option.

"Mind if I tag along? Cabin fever, you know?" I just nod and gesture to Darwin to continue to lead the way. The wolf closes her door behind her, leaving no opportunity to see what her room is like. Wolves. So intensely private. Faith gets that way about her stuff too. I catch myself comparing Avi and Faith as I watch her idle, light footed gait. Even as a human you can see the lupine loping grace in her movements.

I break my gaze away to watch my steps down. Wouldn't it be just my luck if I took a header and biffed it all the way down these stairs. I don't think my pride would survive it. "So you're a werewolf huh? Spend a lot of time in fur?" I only ask because of the eyes. They haven't gone human even though she's most definitely human looking at the moment. The amused look doesn't falter even for a second and she looks at me with a mild shrug.

"It gets cold in here." It's a complete evasion by making a joke. That makes me even more curious about her. I can hear Darwin pulling out and fumbling with a large heavy key ring but my eyes are all for the wolf at my side. "You're going to stare at me until I answer your question aren't you?" Yes. Yes I will. She rolls her eyes, looking a slightly less amused. Slightly. "I once spent almost a decade as a wolf. They won't change back to human now."

A decade? Like. Ten years? She spent ten years as a wolf? I'm on the verge of asking about it when Darwin finally stops to unlock a door. This time the I don't smell the blood until he pushes the heavy stone door in. Then my mouth waters. Just a little. "Where are we?" I'm so interested in finding the source of the blood that I miss the humor slipping from Avi's face. She stays at the doorway as I follow Darwin in to a black stone room with a drain in the floor. It's empty but it hasn't been empty for long.

"This is the interrogation room my Lady." It's emptiness makes it all the scarier to me. Bad things happened here to a lot of people. I run a finger along a smooth wall. It's pristine, sterile almost. "It was my old Master's favorite room." That explains why the scent is so strong. It's then that I notice the complete silence from the werewolf. It doesn't take a mind reader to see this room bothers her. I wonder if I can get her in the room with me. I wonder if she'd let me bleed her in here. "Shall we go?"

The quietly compassionate tone in his voice makes me look up at him. For a warrior demon he's awfully considerate of others. I sigh softly and promise myself to come back to the room later with Faith. "Is that the worst of your secret rooms?"

"No." Darwin locks the door before slicing his own hand on his tusk. Blood rushes out and he places it against the door. It unlocks without a key and swings open, exposing a different room altogether. This one smells like electricity and herbs. Of blood and something else. Darker. More sinister than just pain and death. It smells of magic. I don't remember much of my rebirth but I remember enough and I'm just not all that up with magic right now. "This is for..."

"I get it. We can move on now." He glances at me over his shoulder in mild confusion but closes the door firmly. "You mentioned something about a pit?" I hope it's not like the pit of despair or anything. Though that wouldn't surprise me here. Avi finally shakes herself out of her stupor and clears her throat.

"The Pit is where we all go to blow off a little steam. Or settle differences. It's very primal." She says it with no inflection but there's a spike in restless energy around her. I can understand that. Right now getting dirty would go a long way toward making that magic ick feeling go away. I've got some questions about what's happening around here but I'd rather ask Oz that directly. Not that I think Darwin would lie to me but I want to hear it from my one time friend.

"Sounds right up my ally. Lead the way Frauline Fur." Damnit. Those witty nicknames sound so much cooler when Faith says them. Avi turns her far too amused for her own good gaze on me. I smile sweetly with just a hint of menace. "So I guess this Pit thingy isn't exactly a prayer circle."

Avi's laugh reminds me of cool stream on a warm humid day. It's a strange feeling but I'm starting to get used to her. Darwin rolls his shoulders in a shrug. His voice so deep and reverent it makes me do a double take. "Not all religion is to be found in a church, any more than all knowledge is to be found in the classroom." Right. Big warrior race. He probably does pray there. Great. Way to offend Oz's right hand man. I open my mouth to say something, anything to smooth over the sudden uncertainty in the air when Avi clears her throat.

"The Pit is different for everyone. For some it's just a way to pass the time, for others it's akin to a religious experience." Darwin turns his back on us to continue on and I follow along still trying to sort through all the information I'm getting.

"And what's it to you?" The silence is broken by a frenzied roar. Hey. I know that roar. A shiver skitters down my spine. I'm not the only one affected by the sound of Faith's defiance. Avi's body twitches in response and now I really have to see what's happening. We share a look before hurrying down the rest of the hall, spilling out in to a large round room with a high domed ceiling. Demons, humans, weres, vampires and everything in between flow like a surging wave against a low stone wall surrounding a big cleared spot in the center of the room.

Darwin's big body breaks the crowd enough for us to push our way to the front of the wall. The stone thrums under my hands with the echos of all this energy. Avi's body is very warm next to me, her power pressing against me almost chokingly. "Therapy." Say what now? I tear my eyes away from Faith's swagger as she stalks around the circle, taunting her opponent. "You asked what this is for me. It's therapy."

Hm. Wonder if that has anything to do with her being furry for ten years. Faith's opponent rushes her and it's a mistake. Her body moves effortlessly to the side, one long tanned arm reaching out to yank the demon back by his horns, laying him out hard on his back. It probably knocked the wind out of him but she doesn't stick around close enough to make sure. He's bigger than her but she's just playing with him. I wonder if this is therapeutic for her too. I wonder if somehow she needs something like this to help her keep her impulses and urges in check.

Because we all know I can't be her conscience anymore. She's got to be the voice of reason for both of us. The demon sits up slowly, shaking the stars out of his eyes as he kneels and puts a hand on either horn. It's gross and a little weird to watch it literally rip itself in half, making two demons instead of one. Darwin grunts and I get the very strong impression that while not breaking the rules exactly, it's considered a bitch move. Interesting.

Faith's eyes go devoid of anything human. Her smile widens enough to show gleaming white fangs. I want to be in there with her. She and I could tear these two apart, and keep tearing until there are no more little demons left. I can feel my body move before I've really processed what I'm doing. I'm up and over the wall, landing lightly with barely a bounce. Even though her back is to me I know Faith knows I'm right here. It's the subtle shift of her shoulders, the slight inclination of head as she listens for my foot steps.

"Why doesn't it surprise me to find you getting dirty with the boys?"

I don't hafta see her to know she's there. But I won't lie. I like lookin'. I take a step back with a smirk and glance over my shoulder at Buffy. "Took ya long enough. You sleep like the dead ya know that?" It's not that funny of a joke but she laughs anyway. It's that laugh that reminds me of her when she was alive. If I'm really bein' honest with myself I still miss the person she was just a lil bit. But when B brings her elbow up with a sickening crunch right in to a demon's face I suddenly remember what it is about her now that I love so much. It's not like I needed the help but I like it. I want it. Buffy presses her back to mine and laughs again. It's not the same laugh, just like she's not the same person, this laugh is rich and low in her throat. And it's sexy as hell.

"Someone kept me up way past my bedtime."

Heh. Oh yeah. My demon comes at me with a wide swing. I duck and punch him in the ribs a few times feeling them crack on the last solid punch. His skin is slick with sweat as he backs off a few paces, bumping in to his other half. Aw crap. They each reach up and grab a hold of their horns, tearin' an' rippin' until there are four of them. Son of a bitch. We could take 'em but it'll cost us a few good hits. Maybe some bumps and bruises. Maybe more. "No one plays fair anymore."

Buffy snorts softly in response an' I grin at her. If they had let me bring a blade in this pit I'd have already locked this shit up. "What exactly did you do to this guy, Faith?" Nothing. One pale brow raises in question an' I shrug.

Much. "Maybe I mighta insulted his mother. But how was I supposed ta know his mother really was a whore?" She dodges a swing and kicks out at a demon gettin' too close. They've got us surrounded an' I sigh. Probably I could have kept my mouth shut an' kept drinkin' but this seemed like a good idea fifteen minutes ago. "So what's the plan, B?"

Buffy tucks forward as I lean back, usin' her for a brace before kicking out with both feet to knock a demon ass over head. We break apart and without a word she's on the next demon in a hurricane of fists and kicks. A second before it happens, I feel the difference in her as her vampire rises to the surface makin' her face shift. She's likin' this almost as much as I am. "I say we just kill them."

I wish. But rules are rules. A soft thud makes us both look over at the short figure in fancy shoes that just dropped in to The Pit. Oz. It's like watchin' Mr. Rogers or somethin' the way he so casually takes off his coat an' drapes it over the wall. "Buffy, Faith." So we can't kill them. But we get an assist. Oz rolls his shoulders to loosen the muscles before he tips his head back and howls. The power in it makes a hush fall over the crowd.

"Nice entrance, ya big drama queen." He gives us a smile, pullin' power from the crowd around him as he partially shifts. I've never seen anyone do what he does, never felt anythin' like it either. "Three against four, I'm likin' those odds." There's a flicker of somethin' in the eyes of the demons watchin' us. Not fear exactly. But cautious for sure. For a second I think they're gonna back off when they all rush in at once.

There are four of them but it feels like more. They're every where at once an' I can barely keep track of everything around me. I can feel Oz and Buffy at my back, each of them just as busy as I am. The problem isn't makin' the kill. The problem is keepin' from killing every last one of these bastards. I take a hard hit to the temple, guess I zigged when I should have zagged. For a minute I'm dazed but that minute is all it takes. I see the glint of metal but my body isn't movin' fast enough to come between it an' Oz.

There's just a half second, a half breath before a roar of rage splits the air like a thunder clap. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end and I respond with a roar of my own as something black an' furry yanks away the demon with a knife. It's enough of a breather for me to get back in the game an' now I know what we're really playin' for. That knife wasn't coming for me or Buffy. It was for Oz. A scream of pain and the scent of blood hits my senses an' for just a second I lose it. Just for a second I get lost an' lunge at the closest demon. I bite down hard on his neck, feelin' the skin resist before it splits and hot blood fills my mouth. I bite down harder and pull back, rippin' the throat out with a deep growl. That's when I come back to myself.

There isn't time ta sit and think about what I'm doin', there's only time ta get between me and Oz and everyone else. A hiss over my shoulder is all the warnin' I get before a body goes flyin' past me. Buffy rests her hand on my shoulder just lettin' me know she's there. Another thick silence falls over the watchin' crowd an' all I can seem to sense is wolf power. Oz grunts as he gives his demon a hard kick ta the teeth, knockin' them out. He stands there for a long second just breathing but his face. His face is shifted, he lost some of his control.

"No one leaves The House. Darwin, show the guests to rooms. Please." It's clipped an' tight because he's holdin' in so much rage. I've never seen Fuzz like this before. Sure I've seen him annoyed but this is somethin' else. "Avi. Stop." The wolf is still goin' to town on that demon, shreddin' it's soft exposed guts an' dragging the carcass around as if she could kill it even more dead. "AVI!"

Nothin'. That wolf is lost an' I'm thinkin' now is a good time ta get the hell out of here before she turns on us. I back up a step an' crouch half in front of Buffy, keepin' her out of the wolf's line of sight. Oz has had enough though and when he roars it rattles my teeth makin' me almost want to cower down before him. The wolf whines softly an' belly crawls to his feet still tryin' ta lick the gore from her chops. "It'd be so nice not to be involved in assassination attempt sometime.." Ya got that right, B. I slowly raise to a stand an' smirk at my girl.

"Good times." She moves in close, snakin' an arm around my shoulders so she can lick the blood off my chin. "Hungry, B?" She shrugs like it's nothin' but she's still got game face on. But that might not be food hungry, and when she rubs her body against mine I know it's not blood lust.

"Maybe later. Right now I'm more interested in getting all cleaned up." She gives me a deep kiss not really carin' about anyone or anything around us. "And then after that I'll be wanting to have a talk with our furry little friend." She's not lookin' at either of them but she's definitely talkin' to them. "Someone has some 'splainin' to do." I nod and grip her hips, lifting her high enough for her to wrap her legs around my waist. I glance over my shoulder at Oz but his look is even more unreadable in his animal face.

"Hearin' that Fuzz?" He nods once an' glances at the wolf softly whining at his feet. "Bring her too." His shoulders go stiff an' the power echos in the now empty room. But I'm hurtin' for a challenge so I face him with a snarling growl that causes Buffy to give a whimper of her own. "You wanna make this a fight, Oz?" 'Cause I got it in me and he knows it.

"We'll meet you in an hour. With food." Good idea. I got a wicked case of the H and H's. I nod, not takin' my eyes off either wolf as I walk us to the stairs. B doesn't seem all that concerned as she lets her hands roam all over me, smearin' the blood on my skin in swirly patterns. I think I better make a call home ta check on everything when we get back to the room. Buffy bites my shoulder hard an' I slam her back in to wall at the base of the stairs, my growl deep as I kiss her hard like I need her ta breathe. She laughs rakes her claws down my back, bleedin' me. "Ya beggin' ta be hurt here, B?"

She knows what I'm like after a fight. Knows it's worse after a kill. An' she's pushin' all my control limits on purpose. I guess I can't say I mind 'cause I want this way too. I suck in a hard breath at the pain of it before I rip her shirt open and bury my face in her neck. My hands slide up her ribs, cuppin' those perfect fuckin' tits before I growl an' drag my claws down her sides. Blood for blood. Buffy squeals in pain an' somethin' else, draggin' my face to hers for another vicious kiss. "You always hurt me so good, Faith."

She doesn't even know the half of it yet. I snarl as she starts workin' the buttons of my vest, yankin' her hands away and holding them over her head, This is gonna be my game, my rules, my way. Buffy brings her head close for a teasin' bite but I slam her back against the wall again. It's hard enough for some of the old mortar to crumble loose and sprinkle down around us. I'm thinkin' we're not makin' it back to the room an' I don't even care. I don't care who hears her screams or my howls so long as I get what I want. An' B's gonna give it to me.


End file.
